"Riley gave me my everything: my daughter!"

Brooklyn DeWitt has a gift for making those around her smile. She’s a happy preschooler who loves to sing, dance and swim. But this little girl had to fight for every milestone, and it’s taken a team of Riley specialists to give her the chance to live such a full life.

Before Brooklyn was born, doctors discovered she had Down syndrome, along with heart defects and a stomach condition. Her mother, Courtney DeWitt, worked closely with her maternal-fetal medicine specialist to plan for Brooklyn’s birth and care. She was six days old when Riley Heart Surgeon Mark Turrentine, M.D., performed heart surgery. A few days later, Riley Pediatric Surgeon Karen West, M.D., corrected several problems in Brooklyn’s abdomen. Today, Brooklyn is doing great, and receives follow-up care from many specialists at Riley.

“Riley saved my little girl,” says Courtney, who is happily sharing Brooklyn’s story to raise awareness for Riley during the February My Heart Belongs to Riley campaign. “They fixed all her broken parts and helped get her to a place where she was healthy enough to go home and thrive. I owe everything to Riley because Riley gave me my everything: my daughter!”

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Riley Blogger

The Riley Blog is written and/or edited by members of the Riley Children's Foundation Communications Staff.